Erik Darling

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Erik Darling (b. September 25, 1933) is a New York-born folk music artist, and an important influence on the folk scene in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Inspired by The Weavers, in the '50s he formed The Tunetellers, later called The Tarriers with actor/singer Alan Arkin. Their version of the "Banana Boat Song" reached #4 on the Billboard charts.

Darling left that group to replace Pete Seeger in The Weavers, staying with them from 1958 through 1962. He then formed The Rooftop Singers, who had a number one single with the song "Walk Right In", and his solo album True Religion for Vanguard was influential on younger folkies of the day. In 1967, Darling and Paul Bennett were co-credited for writing the song "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You," by Quicksilver Messenger Service, which appears to be a medley of Darling's 1958 song "St. John's River" and Joan Baez's "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You".